Solution Deployment Framework in MOSS 2007 VS Third party tools
In MOSS 2007 , there is a new deployment mechanism which is called “Solution Deployment Framework”. A solution is basically an aggregate CAB file (E.g MySolution.wsp) containing XML instructions and files that needed to be deployed on each fron-end web servers. Cool advantages of using solutions in MOSS 2007 comparing to any other third-party products (like
Odyssey) are:
1) Solutions can go beyond web part deployment to support the deployment of Site Definitions,Feature Definitions, Template pages , Rssources , Global and Bin assemblies .I finally managed to deploy even my custom sharepoint application, which is basically ASP.NET app, using this cool mthod.
2) Solution deployment can be schaduled through out-of-the-box UI and timer jobs. Here are the steps:
I) Developers create a solution for whatever they want to deploy. It is going to be in a form of CAB file with the extension of WSP.
II) Administrator loads the solution and reviews the Code Access Security policies required for this solution
III) Administrator add/delete this solution to the configuration database
IV) Administrator deploy/retract/schadule this solution to be deployed to each fron end web server through a nice UI.
3) Solutions can push deployment files to each front-end web server in a farm.Unlike MSI or other legacy methods , there is NO need of deploying your
files to every single front-end web server.
4) Solutions can be combined with MSI files to form Hybrid solutions for accomplishing more complex deployment tasks. Even in this case there is no need for deploying files to each front-end web server. MSI package can call stsadm -syncsolution …. to synchronize the deployment in all front-end web servers.
5) Solutions can contain CAS (Code Access Security) policies which makes the Admin’s life much easier and elimiate a lot of disputes between developers and admin for extra level of permissions (Developers work can be given the right permissions as they need and not full trust)
